Paying Dues
by Atreyu Troy
Summary: Link returns home to pay his respects to The Great Deku Tree


Link walked into the town he was born and grew up in, Navi sat on links shoulder and looked all about her with a look of boredom as if none of this mattered to her. The people moved about the town, doing daily chores. A maid beat a rug of all dirt and grime. A boy still struggled to pick up a rock. A girl sat on the roof a shop that sold various items and was housed in a rather large tree stump. The children that link knew to be very old had not aged a day since the day he left this green place.

He walked forward on the worn path past the houses and the one shop, over a small pond, leaping from rock to rock until he came to the direct pathway to the Deku Tree.

A boy stood in the middle of the path.

Link brushed aside his hair and looked at the boy who held out his hand saying, "No one may pass."

Link gave the boy a stern look, "You know as well as I what day it is."

The boy looked at the ground in despair, "Aye, I do."

Link nodded, his green hat moving as he did, "Then let me pass."

The boy reluctantly moved, nodding to himself. Link moved past the thick brush of trees surrounding the single pathway to The Great Deku Tree. Ever since he had died the trees around him had slowly withered away in despair from the lack of his presence, but since his son grew the trees had retaken up occupancy in this part of the woods.

"You remember why we are here, right?" Navi querried, seeming overly excited at their current journey.

"Yes." Link said, impatiently. She had asked him this several times along their journey from Termina. She always had to talk for some reason, whether having to keep him updated on what creature he was fighting or what they were doing their quest, and sometimes she would even tell him what was happening as he was watching it happen. She was annoying sometimes, but he still loved her.

"Only seven years ago we went along this whole quest," Navi said, refreshing Link. "I remember the day I found lying in that bed, sleeping away without a fairy. Then I became yours all thanks to The Great Deku Tree, and your indebted to him for that! We are here to pay our respects to him and his son."

"Thank you for reminding me." Link smiled, her pride was so cute sometimes.

But she was right, Link would forever be indebted to the Great Deku Tree, as the world was indebted to him for his sacrifices for them, all in order to stop Ganondorf.

They reached the Great Deku Tree to see his blackened corpse nearly withered away as the other trees once had. Link stepped closer into the vast clearing, silent in reverence to the Great Deku Tree. His son sat in from of him, starring at his guests. He was half the height of his father in his prime, but it was nice to see the Great Deku Tree lived on in some small way.

"Oh, Great One." Navi said to the dead tree, completely ignoring his son. "We have returned on the anniversary of your death day to pay our respects. You are sorely missed and even in death your splendor is not diminished."

The clearing was silent for a moment.

"Hmm." Navi said, looking around being bored again. "I wonder if that ugly creature is still in there." Navi flew to the mouth of the tree, finding a small hole. "I'll be back." She wedged herself into the hole and disappeared.

Link drew closer to the tree. " Great Deku Tree... You were the being that gave me my life's worth." Link looked at the ground, clutching his fist. "You were the one who sent me on the mission that began everything giving me what I needed most, hope. But at the cost of your life and your only possession."

Link retrieved the Kokiri Emerald from his inventory and held it out. "I can't give you back your life or the hope you instilled in me. But I can give you this." He gestured at the Emerald, with a tear sliding down his face. "You were the closest thing to a father I ever had." He placed the Emerald in front of the tree. "Happy Fathers Day." Another tear slid down his cheek.

The Great Deku Tree's son stepped looked at the Emerald, "I will take the Emerald in my father's stead." He took up the Emerald and stowed it away. He looked back at his father. "So my dad was sorta your dad, huh?" He smiled, "I guess that makes us brothers!"

Link nodded, "I guess it does."

"What are you going to do now brother?" The living tree asked.

Link looked away, "We have found something of interested at the far end of the world. We must look into it." he brushed away his last tear.

"Good luck." The tree said, then added. "Brother."

Navi wedged herself out of the tree the same way she had entered. "Oh my goddesses!" She exclaimed. "The smell in that place is horrible, the creatures decaying body did not make for a suitable aroma."

Link laughed, "lets go little one."

Navi nodded, but turned around and raced towards the dead tree and hugged a large root.

"I love you." She whispered, almost inaudibly. "You gave me the best thing ever." She looked at Link, "Him." She raced toward link and sat back down on his shoulder and beckoned him to get going. Link walked away from his father and brother, knowing he would never return to the only family he had ever known.


End file.
